Fruit of the Dark

Under pale clouds,
vultures whirl in the night breeze.
In their eyes,
the lake reflects
colorful mushrooms.
But these aren’t their favorite fruit.
They seek
pomegranate-colored liquids,
their salty-bitter taste
igniting passion
as they feast
on flesh still warm.
Shadows stretch,
longer than terror before death,
as vultures swoop,
casting black lightning
upon the earth.
When tired, they perch.
Where do the souls
of victims rest?
The suffering lambs of this land
are the vultures’ favored fruit.
Skulls—
as ordinary as lunch
to those on thrones.
In elegant suits,
they feast atop towers
stacked with bones.
Vultures do not care
what skulls mean to survivors;
they crave the taste
of rotting flesh and blood,
like politicians
hungering for power.

Yucheng Tao is a Chinese international student based in Los Angeles, where he studies songwriting. His work and has appeared in Wild Court(UK),The Lake(UK),Red Ogre Review (UK).